


Night Lights

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 08:16:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8704738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple





	

Belle woke up to an empty bed. A brief flash of panic shot through her until she saw the faintly glowing trail of lights hanging in the air. With a smile she threw back the covers and slid her feet into her slippers. After all of the drama that had surrounded the birth of their child, her and Rumple had finally found their way back to each other and reconciled, but the first time Belle had woken up to find his side of the bed empty and their daughter missing from her crib she’d screamed the house down. The terror of losing Hope had felt all too real again. Rumple had appear at her side in a puff of smoke, Hope clutched tight in his arms and with rapid soothing words explained that Hope had been fussy and he’d been walking her around the house. The three of them had spent the rest of that night huddled in their bed, barely sleeping. After that Rumple had set up these magical night lights.

Hope needed very little sleep, a side effect of the magic that she’d been born with in such abundance, some nights she was content to make her mobiles spin as she lay awake, but others she would fuss and wriggle until one of her parents woke and soothed her. It was usually Rumple who snapped awake when Hope was in one of these moods. Belle had felt guilty, but as he pointed out he needed as little sleep as Hope so it made sense for him to take the majority of disturbed nights.  
Belle followed the glowing trail of light wondering what her little family were up to this early in the morning. She found them on swing seat on the back porch, wrapped in a thick blanket intently watching the garden. She tip toed out to them and was greeted by matching happy smiles. Rumple lifted the edge of the blanket and welcomed her into their snug cocoon. 

“The foxes are coming for a visit.”

Hope cooed softly as the family of five foxes squirmed through the hedge and began sniffing around the garden. Belle smothered her gasp with the edge of the blanket, this was the first time she’d see the foxes that had adopted their garden as a night-time playground. They were beautiful; the cubs were growing up but still had a bit of fluffy puppy look about them as they bounded around, the vixen and dog headed for the bowls of food and water that Rumple conjured for them, Belle watched in wide eyed amazement as the vixen raised her head looked right at them and gave a soft bark. 

“She’s got good manners, always says thank you.”

The three of them watch quietly as the foxes fed and played. Eventually Hope waved at them and they left the garden through the hedge. Rumple gathered his sleepy ladies up and guided them inside. Hope settled into her crib and was asleep instantly, Belle snuggled against him in their bed and through a yawn asked; “How did you know the foxes were coming tonight?”

“Hope knew, she set the night lights to show me where she wanted to go.”

Belle muttered something that trailed off into a soft snore. Rumple stroked her hair and drifted to sleep happy and content in the arms of his true love as the sounds of barking foxes faded into the distance.


End file.
